“Wednesday Service”
An Overview of The Bible
The Book of Ezra-Nehemiah
Part 2: Ezra 1-6
• Three Key Figures/Sections in Ezra-Nehemiah
1. Ezra 1-6 | Zerubbabel leads many Jews to return to rebuild the TEMPLE
2. Ezra 7-10 | Ezra goes to Jerusalem to teach the Bible to rebuild the COMMUNITY
3. Nehemiah 1-7 | Nehemiah returns to rebuild the WALLS (see: Daniel 9:25-27)
Section #1 – Ezra 1-6
Chapters 1-2
• King Cyrus is moved by God to allow whoever wishes to return and go back to Jerusalem to REBUILD the TEMPLE.
• This fulfills the promise of Jeremiah 25 that one day the people would RETURN.
Chapters 3-6
• They rebuild the ALTAR for sacrifices and later the TEMPLE itself.
• It was not like Tabernacle of MOSES in Leviticus 9 or the Temple of SOLOMON in 1Kings 8
• Zerubbabel refuses the help of the Israelites GRANDCHILDREN who had never been in exile
• This was NOT the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy… it was anti-climactic
